Improvement in alarms for locomotive-engines



R. lA. PILKINS.

, Alarm.

No'. 110,643. PatentdJan. 3, 1-871 inni-tdi f irtiz nam) A. FILKINs'oF NORTH ADAMs, MAssAoHUsnr'rs.

Letters Patent No. 110,643, dated January' 3, 1871.

IMPROVEMET IN ALARMS FOR LOCMOTIVE-ENGINES,

The Scheule refen'ed to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

' Adams, i-n the county of Berkshireand State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and improved Automatic Alarm- Attachment to Locolnotives; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and' exactdescription thereofifwhich will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification.

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a locomotive, which is 'provided with my improved alarm-attachment.

Figure 2 is a transverse section of the same, a; x, fig. 1, being the section line. ,i

Figure 3 is a detail plan' view of the fixetl stop on the track -for Operating the alarm. I

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding arts.'

p'This invention relates to a new attachment to locomotiye-engines, wherebylani alarm will be automatically set in motion at the approach of a curve, bridge, tunnel, or other place where a warning is to be given.

The object vof'tlie. inventin is to make the giving of the necessaryialarms onlrailroads a matter of absolute certainty, and not of mere relianoe uponl the care and,,conscientiousness of engineers,'and to the'reby avohf all the accidents' which would liappen if the engineers were negligent in the stated (lirectiou.

vThe invention consists in the combination of the alarm apparatus, which may be in shape of a bell or whistle of suitable kind,.wit-h 'a lever for throwing it in gear whenever vsaid lever Strikes a fixed stop on the track, and with 'a bell-crank and' handle, whereby it can be thrown ont of gear when desired.

A in the drawing represents the body and frame of a locomotive-engine of suitable construction.

Bis a level' pivoted to the side of a locomotive, to

a penda'nt 01' arrn, a', of its frame.

-The lower end of the lever B is 'close above the track on which the engine moves, and in position to bepswung inwardly by means of a stop, 17,01: lug on saiditrack'; I i

c is aA spring acting on the lever B, to hold'the same in position to be struckby said stop b.

Cis a Vertical slide arrange'd on the side of the frame A, preferably in form of a straight bar or plate.

Its upper end is, by a cord or link, (Z, connected with analarm-whistle, e, or 'carries a hell, f; and the clapper g thereof, or either the bell only or the clapper, as may be found most advantageous.

D is a bell-crank pivoted to the side of the locomotive, and connected with a rod or handle, h, which extends back to within. easy reach of the engineer, enabling the same to swing the bell-crank.

'i is a pin projecting from the slide'O above the arm j of the hell-Crank, as shown.

The operation is as follows:

The lower end of the slide rests upon' and is supported bythe upper part of the lever B, inthe'mannei' shown in fig. 1. In this position the 4alarm'apparatus is out of gear. Whenever the lower end of the lever B strikes the stop b said level' will be so moved as to drop the slide C, the same being sufliciently..

heavy to deseend by-its own weight. Whenever the slide is thus lowered,,it will, by its m'otion, set the alarm into gear, either by raising the vvalve of the whstle' or by bringing the clapper of the hell within reach of the reiprocating-cross-head on-'the pistonrodof the cylinder, or with the link-motion of the slide-valve, or in other'suitable manner. The alarm will then be sounded as long as the slide remains lowered and the enginev in motion. When the slide O '(lescends, as'aforesaid, its pin i drops upon the arm j, or'carries down with it said'arm j of the bell-crank. swhenever, by means of the handle h, the bell-crank is swnng to elevate thel arm j, the slide O and all its appendages will also be elevated to throw the alarm out of gear. The spring c throws the lever B under the slide when the same has been elevated, as aforesaid, and holds the parts in the first-described (position, ready to be again thrown in action by-contaci;l i

with a stop, b.

Having thus described my -invention,

'I claim as new and' desire to secure by-etters Patent- The combination of the slide O with the leverB and bell-crank D, all arrang'ed 'on a loeomotive-engine, substantially as and for the purposes hereiu shown and described.

REED. A. FILKINS. Witnesses: w

GEO. W. Manna,- ALEX. F. Ronnm's. 

